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Government Seeks Backdated Cap After Reform UK Accepts £72m From Crypto Billionaires

Ministers are pushing a Representation of the People Bill that would backdate a £100,000 limit on overseas donors and impose tougher residency checks that could force the money to be returned.

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'While Rayner told the BBC that Ben Delo and Christopher Harborne’s donations would simply be required to be returned, the principle still stands: if it’s legal today, a new law might make it illegal tomorrow,' writes Mark Wallace (Photo: Jeff Overs/BBC)
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Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has welcome two donations of £36m in the space of 48 hours – the largest gifts in UK political history (Photo: Oli SCARFF/Getty Images)

Overview

  • Reform UK announced two £36 million donations from Ben Delo and Christopher Harborne totaling £72 million, and the party says the gifts comply with current law.
  • Ministers in the House of Lords are advancing the Representation of the People Bill to cap donations from overseas-based donors at £100,000, apply a 12-month residency safeguard for returning expats, and strengthen tests of ongoing UK residence.
  • Labour figures have said the new rules would be backdated and could require non-compliant donations to be returned within a fixed window, a move that raises likely legal challenge and political rows.
  • Trade unions and TUC leaders are shifting toward support for tighter finance rules while seeking different treatment for union funding, and Reform has already started using money to hire staff and field organisers.
  • Police, the Electoral Commission and parliamentary authorities are examining Reform’s funding and donor residency, leaving the final legality of the £72 million unresolved and central to whether the cash stays with the party.